Originally Posted by Fdemetrio
Originally Posted by John Lawrence Schick
I think of composing more like arranging. We’re merely trying to rearrange the elements of music into something new. That said, I dig deep into my musical soul to find meaning beyond the elements. If I had to consider originality, I wouldn’t get past the first measure. My influences like Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Gershwin, Mozart, and on and on… is deeply rooted in who I am as a composer, oh, arranger. So yeah… Stop analyzing; just compose the damn thing!

John smile


I think arranging is a big part of composing. The melody gets all the credit, but take the greatest melody of all time and change the chord progression, there goes your great melody.

When people send off their lyric and melody to a demo maker, you have to wonder whose song it is once the demo maker gets done with it.


I think what John means by "arranging" is taking the (standard) ideas about arranging for instruments and apply those same ideas to the more detailed musical elements like the notes. Perhaps "rearranging" fits better for what John is intending to mean, or less confusing. John likes to find a handful of notes and "rearrange" them as one of his "go to" tools in the hodge-podge of tools in his toolbox. wink

Last edited by Michael Zaneski; 08/08/19 02:13 PM.
Fate doesn't hang on a wrong or right choice
Fortune depends on the tone of your voice

-The Divine Comedy (Neil Hannon)
from the song "Songs of Love"
from the album "Casanova" (1996)